Roses In India
by LadyCedar
Summary: Jackie notices snow for the first time since Rose's departure after The Christmas Invasion


This is based loosely upon the song 'May's in India' by Dido but is NOT a songfic.

Bsically It tells of how Jackie and Micky are coping the first time they see snow again after Rose leaves them after the Christmas Invasion. Obviously set after the Christmas Invasion but spoiler free as it concentrates more on feelings as opposed to events.

This is for FluffyShrekGirl who continues to inspier me after a lifetime of friendship and for my own dear mother who has had to put up with me for just a few hours more than FSG and who is always there for me.

Oh yeah,** I do not own Doctor Who**.I do own a remote control Dalek which I got for christmas and my little brother christened Jonathan. Not really something you needed to know but dammit I love my Jonny :)

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**Roses In India**

It was mid January and Snow fell in magnificent flurries to earth and covered all the grey of the big city. It was midnight and the streets were unusually quiet. The snow lay clean and untouched, almost perfect. For the first time in months, London looked beautiful.

Jackie smiled to herself as she remembered the last time it had snowed, on the 25th of December. The fact it was Christmas seemed almost irrelevant, she would always remember that day, for the time being, as the day she last saw her daughter.

All of Rose's things were still in her room, just as she had left them. The bed was still unmade, make-up lay strewn across the floor and various posters and photos were hastily taped to the walls. Jackie had thought so many times about tidying it up, maybe redecorating and getting a double bed for it, so she and the Doctor could stay if they ever came home. She could never bring herself to do it though. As long as her room remained the same it was almost as if she was still there. Indeed, in the first few weeks Jackie had almost fooled herself into believing that Rose had stayed out all night at a party or slept over at Micky's and had forgotten to tidy her room before she left.

She would sit in there sometimes and think of Rose. She would look at the walls and memories would come flooding back.

Beside the window was an aged Spice Girls poster from when they had taken the pop world by storm. Rose had been obsessed with them for years but gave up on them once she entered her teens in favour of louder music. Still she kept the poster up though, only now the group had moustaches and thick spectacles.

Next Jackie looked to her favourite wall, Rose's Photo collage. There was almost a hundred photos there spanning almost twenty years, from rose's first few baby pictures to the most recent, a shot of both mother and daughter taken on Christmas Eve by Micky.

Her mind wandered to him now. And the last time she saw him. It was a fortnight ago at Kelly's new years' party. He'd been there sitting in a corner with a beer. His eyes looked bloodshot, either from too little sleep or too much drink, probably both Jackie had thought. Other than that he looked good, he smiled and laughed whenever he was spoken to and cheerfully sang Auld Lang Sine with the rest at midnight though Jackie could tell by the way the smile never reached his eyes that he was missing Rose too.

Her thought track was broken when she heard a knock at the front door. She looked at the fluorescent glow of Rose's alarm clock. One a.m. Hesitating, she went to the door and looked through the spy hole, hoping all the way it was Rose and that she hadn't heard the TARDIS because maybe she hadn't come with the Doctor or that they did both come but she had been so preoccupied wither thoughts that she had failed to notice it. As always though, it wasn't Rose or the Doctor. It was just Mickey.

"It's snowing." He said as she opened the door. He looked as though he had just woken up. He was still in his pajamas and had put on his trainers quickly, forgetting to tie the laces. He was covered in snow but seemed unaware. "It reminded me of Christmas." He began. "I just thought I'd see if you were awake too. It might have gone by morning."

Jackie gave a small smile.

"Thanks Micky." She said. She looked at him. He looked different. His eyes were no longer red but there were stubborn bags under them now. His hair was uncombed and was longer than it had been in a while. He definitely looked thin. "Want to come in for a cup of tea or something?"

"Yeah" he nodded and came in. He kicked the snow from his trainers and took them off. The two made their way into the kitchen and Micky sat down while Jackie put the kettle on and clambered around for mugs and tea bags.

"Can you get the milk out for me?" She asked.

"Why is there all those pictures stuck to the fridge?" Micky asked Jackie as she poured boiling water into two mugs.

"Those?" Jackie said glancing at the fridge as Micky retrieved the milk. "Well everyone thinks Rose is traveling don't they. Well she is but, well, you know." Jackie sighed. " I got them from holiday brochures so if anyone asks I can always say that's where she's been.

"She always wanted to go to the Taj Mahal." Micky said pointing to the central photo.

"I know" Jackie replied. For a while after that nothing was said as tea was sipped around the breakfast bar. Mickey kept on looking at the photo of the Indian palace. "You miss her." Jackie stated, breaking the silence.

"Yeah." He sighed and his eyes welled up with tears. Not thinking her tears would be far away either she tried distracting him.

"You don't look as if you've eaten in days. How about I make us both a nice bacon sandwich?" Mickey hoping that his tears too would subside nodded.

"That would be nice thanks."

"You know, after I lost Rose's father I was in a bad way. No one could talk to me or I'd bite their head off. I'd hardly eat, drink or do anything really, just sit there doing nothing. But then I realized that it wasn't helping. Not me, not Rose and definitely not him. So I got up and started doing things. I started talking to people. And of course I missed him, I still do but I loved him and you never forget someone you love." Jackie said giving Micky a meaningful look. He looked pensive for a moment. Like he was going to say something but arguing with himself whether to say it or not. Finally, he spoke.

" I've put all of her things in a box. All the CDs she left and her jacket and books she left over at mine. I've put them in the closet in case she wants them when she comes back."

Jackie looked taken aback for a moment then she smiled. If he could move on maybe she should too.

"I've been thinking of redecorating her room actually, maybe put up some nice wallpaper and get a double bed for her and-" She paused looking at Mickey.

"You can say it." He said. "For her and the Doctor. I know how she feels about him. She's never actually said but I can, you know, just tell." There was a pause, it would have been silent had the bacon not been sizzling in the frying pan. "Maybe I could help you decorate." He suggested.

"I'd like that." Jackie said smiling. She looked out of the smeared kitchen window. It had now stopped snowing and the sky was clear and perfect. She looked to the stars and thought of her daughter on some fantastic planet and wondered if she could see them too. She wondered if right now she was missing them as well as they were missing her. Mostly though she wished that wherever she was, she was safe and happy. Because right now in the kitchen, she glanced over at Micky who was now smirking at the different photos on the fridge, they were happy too.


End file.
